Monday Children’s Book Reviews for April 4, 2016

Spot a Lot Vehicle Adventure: And Count a Little, Too! by  Steve Smallman and Nicola Slater

“When a courier’s truck breaks down, he hitches a ride on different kinds of vehicles, from tractors to hot air balloons, to deliver the package.” And along the way readers get to count and hunt for objects in the pictures!       [JPB SMALLMAN,S]

Louise Trapeze Did NOT Lose the Juggling Chickens  *Probably by Micol Ostow

“Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Feast your eyes on the one, the only Louise Trapeze! Louise is seven years old now, which means she is super mature. Ready for big responsibilities! Her BFF Stella gets to watch Clementine the Elephant, and even Ferret-Breath Fernando is trusted with errands for the ringmaster. But Louise has nada, nothing important at all to do. Until she gets her chance! She is asked to watch the three juggling chickens. Louise knows she will make a superb babysitter. Too bad Oona, Loona, and Maude have other ideas. . . .

“This follow-up to Louise Trapeze Is Totally 100% Fearless is perfect for fans of IVY AND BEAN and JUNIE B. JONES.”                     [J OSTOW,M]

Let’s Knit: Learn to Knit With 12 Easy Projects

“Perfect for beginner knitters, Let’s Knit explains how to master the basics. Clear, straightforward photographs show readers how to cast on, cast off, and how to do the two basic stitches: knit and purl. From there, readers can move on and learn to knit 10 projects mostly made from simple rectangles, including a coin purse, a cushion, a teddy bear scarf, and a knitted dog, bird, and cat — all using simple stitches.

“With easy-to-follow techniques that build confidence, plus tips and suggestions on how to customize and personalize creations by adding faces and other features using simple felt shapes, stitches, buttons, and ribbons, Let’s Knit will inspire young crafters to develop a new skill.”              [J746.432 LET’S]

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for May 25, 2015

 

Today is Memorial Day.

 Use Your Words, Sophie! by Rosemary Wells

“Sophie knows lots of words, but she doesn’t always use them. It’s more fun to speak in hyena talk or space language. ‘Use your words, Sophie!’ urge her parents, but Sophie just won’t.

“But when her new baby sister arrives, Sophie is the only one who can find out what she really wants.”                    [JPB WELLS,R]

The Sweetest Heist in History by Octavia Spencer

“While visiting her aunt in New York City, Randi Rhodes and her fellow ninja detectives uncover an art heist, but no one will believe them, so they set out to catch the criminals in the act.

“Second book in a series full of humor, adventure, and heart from Academy Award–winning actress Octavia Spencer.”                            [J SPENCER,O]

 Seashells by the Seashore by Marianne Berkes

“Through a lyrical counting rhyme, children accompany Sue as she walks the shore, collecting seashells for her grandmother. The rhythmic lines reinforce numbers 1 through 12, while describing individual shells and explaining what shells are and how they came to be on the sandy shore.”               [J594.1477 BERKES]

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for April 27, 2015

10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle

“Based on a true story, an amusing tale tells about ten rubber ducks who, after being tossed overboard a ship during a storm, find themselves floating alone on the high seas–reaching lands and meeting people far away from their original destination.”             [JPB CARLE,E]

Square Cat ABC by Elizabeth Schoonmaker

“Each letter of the alphabet tells the story of an adorable mouse who discovers Eula, a hip-yet-square cat, in her garden. Mouse wants a taste of his favorite vegetable, spinach, but our four-sided feline hates the green leafy stuff. Enter the threatening, pointed quills of a porcupine, and Mouse is ready to run! One letter leads to another and by the story’s end, Mouse and Porcupine are pals—and Eula might even try a taste of zesty spinach.”             [JPB  SCHOONMAKER,E]

Bo at Iditarod Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill

“Ever since five-year-old Bo can remember, she and her papas have lived in the little Alaskan mining town of Ballard Creek. Now the family must move upriver to Iditarod Creek for work at a new mine, and Bo is losing the only home she’s ever known. Initially homesick, she soon realizes that there is warmth and friendship to be found everywhere . . . and what’s more, her new town may hold an unexpected addition to her already unconventional family.

“This stand-alone sequel to Bo at Ballard Creek  is a story about love, inclusion, and day-to-day living in the rugged Alaskan bush of the late 1920s. Full of fascinating details, it is an unforgettable story.”      [J HILL,K]

Monday Children’s Book Reviews for January 6, 2014

1 Cookie, 2 Chairs, 3 Pears: Numbers Everywhere by Jane Brocket

“Five toes, twelve cupcakes, nineteen puzzle pieces—numbers are all around us. How many numbers can you count in the pages of this book?”         [JPB BROCKET]

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

“At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens…whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life. As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen’s destiny is to follow in her mother’s wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven’s style. She’s starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.

“What if Raven doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.”  The first book in a new series by Shannon Hale.                                  [J HALE]

100 Most Feared Creatures by Anna Claybourne

“This book explores the world’s most ferocious creatures and reveals the deadliest facts about these terrifying animals. Who fights off predators by spraying blood from its eyes? How does the slender, deep-sea gulper swallow prey twice its size? Who sucks out body fluids with its short, sharp mouthparts? Readers will learn everything they ever wanted to know about some of the scariest creatures on the planet.”                 [J591.65 CLAYBOURNE]